Gilgit, August 30, 2025: Authorities in Gilgit-Baltistan have declared the Darkot Glacier in the Yasin area of Ghizer district dangerous, warning that it could burst at any moment due to soaring temperatures.
The Gilgit-Baltistan Emergency Service issued an alert on Saturday, urging locals and tourists to exercise extreme caution. Officials reported that temperatures around the glacier have reached 35°C, placing immense pressure on the ice mass and sharply raising the risk of a glacial outburst flood (GLOF).
The district administration has been directed to immediately relocate residents from low-lying areas to safer ground. Tourists and locals have also been advised against visiting or camping near the banks of the Ghizer River, which is expected to swell dangerously in the event of a glacier breach.
Experts caution that rising summer temperatures linked to climate change are accelerating glacier melt across the Himalaya–Karakoram–Hindukush ranges, heightening the frequency of GLOF incidents in Gilgit-Baltistan.
